SPRAY MANAGEMENT 19 



UNSATISFACTORY CONTROL 



The four-spray schedules, Figure 12, on page 18, indicate spray pro- 

 grams on individual farms that failed to secure satisfactory commercial 

 control. The four major sprays were applied, except in one case where 

 the first cover was omitted. One operator applied one additional spray, 

 and another, two additional sprays. 



Approximately half of the trees on farm Dl are between 30 and 60 

 years of age. Six sprays were applied. A two-man crew operated a 150- 

 gallon-tank outfit and applied 16,875 gallons in 197 hours. About 30 

 gallons of spray were used per mature tree, a higher application than 

 most of the other operators used. The chief difficulty in this orchard 

 is that of adequately covering the large old trees. The operator might 

 do a better job with new equipment and more pressure and more care 

 but even then he would be somewhat handicapped by the age and size 

 of the trees. 



Farm D2 is a mixed-age orchard, 37 trees being over 30 years old. 

 A two-man crew and a 200-gallon outfit were used in applying 7800 gal- 

 lons of spray in 100 hours. Four years later 8300 gallons were applied 

 in 63 hours, indicating a marked decrease in time. In the four sprays a 

 total of 24 gallons was applied per mature-tree equivalent. The field- 

 man's observations indicate that the operator was not thorough in get- 

 ting the entire tree adequately covered. A check on the orchard showed 

 that spray was not well distributed over the trees. The spray material 

 cost 4.5 cents per box of apples (expected yield). 



Farm D3 was a small orchard of 560 trees but equivalent to only 133 

 mature trees. There were a few trees over 30 years old. The 5700 gal- 

 lons of spray were applied in 50 ^4 hours by a two-man crew operating 

 a small 100-gallon outfit. Forty-three gallons were applied per mature 

 tree equivalent. 



Farm D4 was a small young orchard. All the bearing trees were 

 between eight and 1 1 years old. 



Three sprays, totalling 2650 gallons, were applied in 59 l / 2 hours by 

 a two-man crew operating a 100-gallon-tank outfit. Only 10 gallons 

 were applied per mature tree equivalent. Since this orchard consisted 

 wholly of young trees the opportunity of giving it adequate protection 

 was a favorable one. This orchard is in a frost pocket and the crop is 

 usually light. On this account, the operator did not feel justified in 

 taking time from the other activities to spray adequately. 



Table A — Data on Orchardists Dl, D2, D3, D4 for 1932 



